Tips for creative thinking
I was waiting for my drink at the cafe in my local Borders when I saw a couple of design books in the tidy pile by the counter. The first one, Colour by Ambrose/Harris looks like a lovely read and was what originally caught my attention. Under it, was a book titled Great Graphics on a Budget by dixonbaxi. I wasn't as interested but thought I'd flip through it anyway and I'm glad I did. On page 28, there's a great list of tips for creative thinking that I wholeheartedly agree with:
The Tips for creative thinking article by Aral Balkan, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 UK: England License.
- Don't believe your own hype.
- Have a goal (or many).
- Try some things with no end result.
- Be aware.
- Talk to other designers.
- Talk to people other than designers.
- Make mistakes.
- Don't use technology as an excuse.
- Keep learning.
- Be true to what you believe in.
- Be humble.
- Work hard.
- Don't think about it, do it! ← One of my favorites!
- Teach
- Be selfish.
- Share.
- Have fun. ← Another favorite. If you're not doing this on a daily basis, then you're doing something wrong (or you're doing the wrong thing!)
The list of tips ends with my absolute favorite: "Forget everything you know and start again."
The Tips for creative thinking article by Aral Balkan, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 UK: England License.
Kristin Henry
That’s a really great list. Although, I’d change it from “don’t think about it..” to “don’t overthink about it…”
November 4th, 2006 at 10:25 pmBrian Deitte
Great list. This reminds me of the “Top Ten Things They Never Taught Me in Design School”:
http://www.designobserver.com/archives/000121.html
I’m no designer myself, but I think it applies to anybody creating things.
November 4th, 2006 at 11:46 pmsascha/hdrs
I agree with most of these but had to make some corrections …
“Don’t use technology as an excuse” … use the creators of the technology as an excuse!
November 5th, 2006 at 4:27 am“Be humble” … gotta have to erase this one or you will never make a living! … Unless this doesn’t count for payments!
sathishraj
superb. Short and sweet. very much useful
November 6th, 2006 at 8:27 amJohan Lopes
A great list indeed and may I say what a great topic for a User group meeting!
November 7th, 2006 at 8:57 pmHey Aral, please contact me when you get the chance (I know you’re a busy man) as I’d like you to come and speak at my Stockholm user group! I’d be very pleased with an Adobe Acrobat (former Breeze) preso alone ;-). Cheers.
Patrick Pietens
Totally agree on most of the list. Allthough I would change the last into: “Kill your darlings!”. Something my teacher on school of the arts used to say …
November 8th, 2006 at 1:44 amMichael Kaufman
Great list. I would add:
“Know how much you don’t know”
November 9th, 2006 at 2:19 amLEE
Hrmm, you’ve been busy as of late, Aral? ; }
I’d like to chime in with, “Expand your consciousness daily in hopes that you might catch an early peek at what you yet don’t know that you yet don’t know”.
And for all that don’t know, the color, “sclreoun”, is by far the most beautiful color not yet discovered. One droplet would transform anyone’s worst design, into a modern masterpiece. Don’t bother scouring your RGB/CMYK/HSB palette’s, you won’t find it there…
muahahahaha
November 9th, 2006 at 9:11 ammeurice
just got bryce 5.5. don’t know how to use it. can anyone help an anxious and willing student?
November 9th, 2006 at 3:36 pm椰林
很棒ï¼
December 16th, 2006 at 5:33 amSimon Middleton
Hi,
My first time at your blog. Your post on tips for creative thinking reminded me of the artist Richard Diebenkorn’s “Notes to myself on beginning a painting”.
I lost my copy of them (I used to use them when teaching) so had to go another blog to find them… so this copy comes from the blog of an artist called Nola Meme in Canada. Her blog is http://nolameme.blogspot.com
Diebenkorn says…
1. Attempt what is not certain. Certainty may or may not come later. It may then be a valuable delusion.
2. The pretty, initial position which falls short of completeness is not to be valued - except as a stimulus for further moves.
3. Do search. But in order to find other than what is searched for.
4. Use and respond to the initial fresh qualities but consider them absolutely expendable.
5. Don’t “discover” a subject - of any kind.
6. Somehow don’t be bored - but if you must, use it in action. Use its destructive potential.
7. Mistakes can’t be erased but they move you from your present position.
8. Keep thinking about Polyanna.
9. Tolerate chaos.
10. Be careful only in a perverse way.
Good list… you think?
August 9th, 2008 at 8:56 pm